What is biodynamic wne?

Quite a few people ask me this. Well there`s a short and long answer, with quite a lot of gobbledegook between. In truth I`m still grappling with it, but here goes: Biodynamic wine is organic wine PLUS, PLUS – a wine produced from organically grown grapes according to a lunar calendar devised by Maria Thun (1922-2012 ) based on an holistic, homeopathic method of farming originally conceived by philosopher Rudolph Steiner (1861-1925). In fact, Steiner`s biodynamic farming predated organic farming by several decades. He was essentially anti-chemical as well, but his big idea was that everything in the universe is interconnected and the influence of the moon on earth was a useable force. Steiner claimed that plants on earth are affected by the pull of the moon and furthermore by the position of the planets and stars. He believed plants grew at differing rates with the passing of the moon into different constellations of the zodiac. Thun studied his work and spent a lifetime monitoring the growth of plants setting the movement of the moon against the ancient astronomical elements of Earth, Fire, Air and Water. She created a best practices farming calendar and divided it into Root days, ideal for pruning, Fruit days, best harvesting days, Flower days, suitable rest days, and Leaf days, for irrigation. Root days are when the moon is in any of the Earth signs (Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo). Fruit days are when the moon is in the Fire signs (Aires, Leo, Sagittarius). Flower days, in the Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius). Leaf days, in the Water signs (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces). Still following? Anyway – whether you think this is all hocus-pocus or not, Steiner`s and Thun`s biodynamic farming has been widely adopted and is big business today. Wine guru Michel Chapoutier himself is an avid proponent! “It permits the only true expression of a wine`s terroir”, he claims. And we only need think back to ancient history. Hasn’t man looked to the celestial skies for guidance of one kind or another since we first inhabited our earth?